The Empress and the Usurper
by Blindsided21
Summary: Martin Septim is gone, but was he actually the last of the Spetim line? A young woman discovers that she is the heiress to the throne and her companions must fight an usurper if the true empress is to take her rightful place as the leader of Tamriel.


This is my first fic so I hope everyone enjoys it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Oblivion/Elder Scrolls series.

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The Empress and the Usurper

Chp 1: Assassination Attempt

Zann cautiously walked into the Black Shalk Cornerclub in the Foreign Quarter pavilion in the giant city known as Vivec. The bar was warm and stuffy and the smell of burning tobacco was in the air. A small group of drunk Nords and Redguards were seated around a table in the right corner of the room telling stories of their travels. A lone Argonian was seated in the adjacent corner nursing his bottle of sujamma. It was very late so the emptiness of the bar didn't surprise Zann.

The red-haired Imperial knight strode up to the bar and sat down, his steel armor clanking as he walked. The woman behind the counter, a young Imperial, smiled at Zann.

"What can I get you?" she asked.

"A bottle of mead please," Zann said. The woman reached under the counter, took out a brown bottle of mead and handed it to Zann. He took a sip of the fiery liquid. He took a better look at the bartender. She looked to be about seventeen years old, had long brown hair and hazel eyes. She wore a brown long-sleeve shirt and a long tan skirt. Around her neck was a silver pendant with some sort of symbol on it that Zann couldn't make out.

"May I take a look at your pendant please?" Zann asked. The woman hesitated for moment. She reluctantly reached behind her neck, took it off and handed it to Zann.

"Miss?" the Argonian in the corner said holding up his empty blue bottle.

"Excuse me for a moment," the Imperial woman said to Zann. She picked up a bottle from under the counter and walked over the the lizard's table. Zann looked at the silver necklace. The symbol on it was two standing mountain lions holding swords facing away from each other. The lion's eyes were studded with small emeralds. Zann smiled slightly. This was the girl he was looking for.

Suddenly he heard a high pitched screech. He looked up and saw the Argonian grasping the woman's hand and holding a steel dagger in the air. Zann leapt from his seat and ran towards the Argonian. The Imperial woman yanked her arm out of the lizard's claws. Just as she did this, Zann tackled the Argonian sending the knife flying. The would-be killer clawed at the Imperial knight's face. Zann put his arms up to defend his head. The lizard pushed Zann off of him and reached for his dagger on the floor. Zann was faster. He drew his sword from the sheath on his back and stabbed the Argonian in the back. The lizard gave one last gasp of breath and died.

The drunken adventurers ran out of the bar. Zann stood up wiping blood from his face.

"Are you okay?" the Imperial woman screamed.

"I'm fine," Zann said. "Are you hurt?"

"No," she said. "I'll go get you a towel for your face." The woman ran through a door at the back of the bar. Zann checked to make sure she was gone. He went through the dead Argonian's pockets and found a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and read it. He sighed, folded the note and put it in a pouch on his belt. By this time the Imperial woman had come back with a towel in hand. She gave it to Zann.

"Thanks Kessia," he said.

"You're wel- how did you know my name?" the woman said.

"You are Kessia of the Varios family," Zann said. "I was sent to find you."

"Why?" Kessia asked.

"You are the heiress to the Imperial throne."

Kessia looked at Zann puzzled. "What do you mean?" Zann motioned Kessia to sit down at the bar. They both sat on the stools.

"Do you know the story of how you were born?"

"No, I don't. I know that shortly after my conception my family moved to Morrowind."

"The Varios family used to be one of the most influential families in Cyrodiilian politics," Zann began. "Unfortunately, the Varios and the Septim families didn't get along very well. Your father, Prince Geldall Septim, was in love with your mother, Layla Varios. Of course, their love was forbidden. Eventually it was discovered that your mother was pregnant. It was rumored that she gave birth to twins, the oldest a girl, the youngest a boy. Prince Geldall took the boy in against his father, the Emperor's, wishes. The girl remained with the Varios family who was later banished from Cyrodiil." Zann finished. "You are the heiress to the Imperial throne."

Kessia stared at Zann for a few minutes. She slowly doubled over. Zann leaned down to get a better look at her face. She was crying. Zann felt sorry for the poor girl. She had just found out that she was responsible for every person in Tamriel. Zann looked at Kessia closer. No, she wasn't crying out of fear or sadness.

She was giggling!

Kessia finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Zann asked.

Kessia did her best to calm herself down. "Me be the heiress to the Imperial throne!" she gasped in between giggles. "It's hilarious!"

Zann stared hard at Kessia "If you're not the heiress to the throne, why did that Argonian attack you?"  
he asked.

"I work at a bar late at night," Kessia said. "There are always crazies coming in and out of here."

Zann took out a folded piece of parchment that Jauffre had given him before his mission. He handed it to Kessia "I was given this by the Grandmaster of my order before I set out on this mission to find you," he said. Kessia unfolded the slip of parchment and gasped. Drawn on it was a spitting image of Kessia's pendant.

"Now do you understand?" Zann said. Kessia just stared at the slip of parchment. She slowly looked up at the red haired knight.

"I'm the heiress to the throne," she muttered slowly.

"Yes, milady," Zann said as he got up from the stool and kneeled in front of Kessia

"Don't do that," Kessia said blushing. She sighed. "What do we do now?"

"We need to get to the Imperial City," Zann said. "There you can be crowned as the Empress of Cyrodiil and the Blades can guard you. We must get there fast though. Someone wants you dead."

"How are we going to get to the Imperial City quickly?" the empress-to-be asked her escort.

"Just follow me and keep quiet milady," he answered. The knight and his charge made their way to the plaza in the Foreign Quarter. The plaza was deserted save for two patrolling Ordinators. Zann and Kessia turned to slowly entered the building on their right: the Mages Guild. The guild was dark and everyone was sleeping.

"Zann?" they heard someone whisper.

"Madeline?" Zann whispered back. He could barely make out Madeline in front of him. Madeline motioned for Zann and Kessia to follow her. The trio crept through the guild hall until they reached a small glowing platform at the top of a set of stairs. Their was a Breton woman a beside the glowing platform.

"I owe you," Madeline said to the Breton woman as she stepped on to the platform. Zann and Kessia followed suit,

The Breton yawned. "No problem."

Kessia finally got a good look at Madeline. She was a short Breton woman with shoulder length black hair wearing a dark blue robe. Kessia turned to Zann.

"The Imperial City doesn't have a guild guide," she said. "Where are we going?"

"Balmora."

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Updates might be slow. Sorry.


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